Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum curator Dr. Jennifer Levasseur offers a behind-the-scenes guide to the International Space Station in this virtual author talk. Dr. Levasseur will discuss what astronauts do once they make it to the space station, science experiments, station repairs, and more.

The Smithsonian's new book, Behind the Scenes at the Space Station is full of facts about the station. Did you know that in a 24-hour period, the space station completes 16 orbits of Earth and the astronauts on board see 16 sunrises and sunsets every day? Or that the International Space Station is so enormous that it was launched in pieces and constructed in orbit?

Dr. Jennifer Levasseur is a graduate of the University of Michigan, and she received an MA from George Washington University and a PhD from George Mason University. Her first book, published in 2020, examined the cultural significance of astronaut photography. She is the responsible curator for the Museum's astronaut cameras, chronographs, the Space Shuttle, and International Space Station programs. In 22 years at NASM, Jennifer has worked on artifact loans, a biennial museums conference, and numerous digital projects.